Last week, we brought you some comments right from director Joe Johnston after watching the first cut of his forthcoming Marvel Studios big-screen adaptation of Captain America: The First Avenger. The director said that it was “just flat-out fun to watch” and “the movie is going to be something more than people are expecting. We also told you that the first trailer for Captain America: The First Avenger will premiere during Super Bowl XLV on February 6th, so make sure you check that out… of course will bring it to you right here as soon as it’s available.
Now, thanks to the recent issue of Empire Magazine, we get a new look at Chris Evans all suited up as the star spangled superhero. Check out the images below!
Thanks to the French site Les Toiles Heroiques (The Heroic Canvas), we get some images from the French version of Premiere magazine, which offer a first look at Bucky Barnes, some Hydra soldiers, and Hugo Weaving‘s Red Skull. Check those out below!
In an interview in the magazine, Chris Evans revealed that his previous nine-movie commitment to the character has been reduced down to six movies:
“It was quite intimidating and scary to commit to nine films in a row. God thank you, we reduced the number to six. If all goes as planned, I embody Captain America until I am 40 years old.”
In a recent interview with the LA Times, director Joe Johnston spoke a bit about the big-screen version of Cap’s sidekick, James ‘Bucky’ Barnes (Sebastian Stan), whom he said is more “Band of Brothers” than he is boy wonder:
“Sebastian brought something really interesting and slightly on the dark side and really compelling to watch — when he’s on camera, you’re fascinated by watching him,” Johnston said. “In a great cast, I thought he really stood out and brought some unexpected things to the role. Everyone brought something to the movie and a lot of them brought something great but I was most pleasantly surprised by what Chris brought and what Sebastian brought in a much smaller role as Bucky.”
Johnston then expanded upon what he meant by Bucky’s dark side:
“Yeah, that’s true, but Sebastian has a dark, slightly quirky side to him — and that’s the case when he’s in character or not — and he brought that to this movie. “
“You know, he was originally up for the lead, for the Steve Rogers role, but he didn’t have quite the same earnest, I-want-to-fight-for-my-country aura that Chris has for this role. Sebastian has a little bit of the bad boy, he’s a little bit of the James Dean type and that goes somewhat counter to the general perception of Steve Rogers. He wasn’t quite right for Captain America, but I think he’s perfect for Bucky because, really, he can have a little bit of that dark side.”
[Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Bucky (Sebastian Stan) in Captain America: The First Avenger – Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment]
Johnston then spoke of the relationship between Cap and Bucky and how it’s different than their relationship in the comics:
“In the comics, he’s like Robin is to Batman,” Johnston said, “but this is not that at all.”
“We took some liberties with the relationship between the two guys,” Johnston said. “In our story, Bucky is already in the service, he’s already joined up and is being sent overseas while Steve is still struggling to get in the army. That’s different than what you may have read in the comics. It adds a nuance to the relationship that pays off later. They’re closer in age, too — they’re virtually the same age. That’s not the case at all if you go back to the old comics.
In the film, both Rogers and Barnes are orphans and grow up almost as brothers. Rogers is too sickly to enlist in the service and instead he volunteers for a dangerous and secret experiment that might make him the first of an army of super-soldiers. That fact changes the physics of his friendship with Bucky, and the movie jettisons the hero’s almost paternal treatment of Bucky. This version of Bucky Barnes is less wise-cracking and more of a crack shot with his service rifle.
In other Captain America news…
In anticipation of the first trailer for Captain America: The First Avenger, which will air this Sunday during Super Bowl XLV, Marvel Comics is releasing an eight-part comic book tie-in prequel series. The first issue titled Captain America: First Vengeance, will be available free of charge this Sunday only at captainamerica.com.
The issue will then be available on the Marvel Comics iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch app starting Tuesday, February 8th. The comic was written by Fred Van Lente and drawn alternately by Luke Ross and Neil Edwards, along with colors by Richard Isanove. FIRST VENGEANCE weaves in and out of the story of Cap’s upcoming film, introducing readers to new corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Check out three preview images from Captain America: First Vengeance #1 below, with cover art by Paolo Rivera.
Captain America: The First Avenger starring Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, Neal McDonough, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell and Toby Jones is slated to hit theaters on July 22nd, 2011.
